When Sweety Barrett loses his job at a travelling circus he arrives in the port of Dockery, looking for work. Sweety's naive and simple nature makes him easy prey in this corrupt town of smugglers, dominated by the vicious detective, Mannix Bone.

During the day Sweety strikes up a friendship with a six-year-old boy called Conor, but at night he is unwittingly used by Bone and his gang to do their dirty work.

When Conor's father Leo is released from prison and resumes a vendetta with Bone, Sweety Barrett becomes an innocent party caught up in a dangerous and unexpected spiral of enemies.

Just when it seems that Bone is getting away with murder Sweety exacts a spectacular revenge which transforms him into a redeeming hero for the whole town.